Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with Altar Exhibition at Long Beach Playhouse

The Long Beach Playhouse will present the 2nd Annual Celebration of the Mexican traditional holiday of Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos.

Join us for a very special evening with Long Beach’s Distinguished Artist of the Year, Gregorio Luke. Scholars trace the origins of the modern holiday to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years. On this evening Mr. Luke will explore the history and traditions of Dia de los Muertos.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011, the altar exhibition opens the evening from 6-8pm followed by the Dia de los Muertos Multi-media presentation by Gregorio Luke from 8-10pm.

The evening includes an exhibition of altars constructed by local artists. The exhibit is curated by artist Michael Stearns and will be juried by Mr. Luke and Mr. Stearns.

Gregorio Luke is an expert on Mexican and Latin American art and culture. Mr. Luke has presented over 1,000 lectures in museums and universities throughout Mexico, Europe and the United States in institutions such as the Library of Congress, The Smithsonian Institution, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Art, and Universities such as Harvard, Columbia, UNAM and Georgetown, among others.

This lecture is the first in a series of four lectures planned at the Playhouse by Mr. Luke. Day of the Dead will be followed in December by Jesus; His Life in Art on December 18. Other lectures in this series are the Art of Love, Luke’s popular Valentine Day celebration, and the Bellybutton, which be presented for the first time anywhere.

Long Beach Playhouse is located at 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA, 90804, right across from the Long Beach Recreation golf course. The Playhouse is community-supported theatre that cuts across age, gender, ethnic, and cultural boundaries.